


My Love Still Grows for You

by videogames18



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/F, Flirting, Friendship, Gardens & Gardening, Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:36:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28842504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/videogames18/pseuds/videogames18
Summary: Dani Clayton enjoys being a teacher in the town of Vermont as it is the only thing she has ever wanted. But her mother has other plans for her, as she wants her to marry Edmund O'Mara. She knows she has no choice, but the new gardener in town seems to make her feel happier.
Relationships: Dani Clayton & Jamie
Kudos: 8





	1. A New Face in Town

**Author's Note:**

> I had posted this fic a few weeks ago, but I did not feel too good about it. Once I made a few changes to it, I felt a little better and decided to post it once again. It is a period piece and it is definitely a type of fic I have been wanting to make for a while. So I am happy to begin posing it once again, as I am not done with writing fics for this lovely couple.

The O’Mara estate was the first home built in Vermont, or so her mother liked to tell her when she brushed her hair when she was small. It was one of the things her mother liked to tell her when Edmund and his mother, Judy, were around. Her mother, Karen, always liked to keep an eye on the O’Mara family, and especially on Edmund. She thought he would be perfect for Danielle, as he was from the best family and he would be able to care for her and her daughter. 

Danielle, was not as blind as people thought her to be, as she knew her mother wanted her to marry Edmund badly. She would place her in her corset and make sure it was so tight, that she could not breathe whenever he was around. It irritated her that this is what she wanted for her, and she tried to make the best of her time when she taught at the local schoolhouse. The children were her pride and joy and she wished to be a teacher for as long as she could. But her mother had other plans in store for her because she knew her daughter was her only possibility to have a better future.

The house she lived in felt like enough for her, and yet her mother dragged her to each party that she would hear about from the other ladies. Karen was eager to drag her around to show off her young daughter’s beautiful face and kind heart. It was her only chance for finding the best suitable husband for her daughter, and she would not stop until she would have a ring on her finger. 

In the mornings Dani would place on her blouse, while tucking it under her skirt, and then she would place her glasses on her nose. She loved to feel comfortable as she taught class, and so she braided her hair back and left out the door. She would carry all of her books and make her way up to the little red schoolhouse that felt like home. It was a bit worn in some places on the outside, but on the inside, it was the best place to learn and teach. 

But today, her usual load of books was giving her trouble as she soon dropped the smallest one from the top of the stack that was held in her arms. It landed on the ground, and Dani knew that it would be impossible to reach without any help. She looked at it sadly, knowing she would just have to come back for it once she reached the top. 

“Oi! Miss !” The accent made her a bit surprised when she noticed a woman marching her way towards her and she waited to see what she was going to do. 

The woman had curly hair that she kept back in a bun, while she wore a vest and a black skirt to complete the look. She was unlike any woman she had ever seen, and she figured she was new in town as Dani was familiar with everyone. 

“You’ve got quite a load there huh?” She grabbed the book that had fallen in the grass and she almost looked like she was going to give it to her. When the woman decided to grasp some of her books to hold them in her own arms. 

“There ya go, now I can see you better” The woman laughed at her and Danielle was a bit charmed by her sweet laugh 

“Thank you, but you don’t have to help me” Dani did not want to burden her, especially if she had to be somewhere

“I would actually love to help you. Besides, you shouldn’t have to carry this many books by yourself” The woman smirked, and so Danielle relented and gave into the silly woman’s request and walked back to the path. 

“I’m Danielle, but you can call me Dani, all the children at the schoolhouse do so” Dani, nodded to the woman

“I’m Jamie” She winked at her and her cheeks easily turned red by her simple actions and she almost wished she could hide behind her hair. 

“Nice to meet you, Jamie. Are you new in town?” Dani asked wanting to know more about her

“What makes you say that?” The woman seemed affronted and for a moment she was afraid she offended her with her question. It almost made her wish that she could take it back so that the woman would feel at ease again. 

“No reason,” Dani tried to think of how she could fix this situation to not end so horribly

“Well if you must know, I was recently hired by the Wingraves at their estate. I am their new gardener.” Jamie seemed quite proud of her position and Dani was familiar with the Wingrave children

“How fascinating! I know that I have always loved flowers, but I can never seem to keep them alive that well” Dani frowned, worry etched in her head at the thought of the flowers that never seemed to bloom in her own small garden. 

“If you would like, I could give you a few tips to help you with that” Jamie offered and she felt quite amazed by the woman. The schoolhouse was beginning to appear and Dani seemed to smile at the sight of her favorite place. She opened the door with her key and placed the books on her table and helped Jamie place the books there too. 

“Well I guess I will be off then” Jamie seemed hesitant and she felt a bit saddened by her leaving so soon

“I guess I will see you around then” Dani tried to smile but it didn’t work too well, as the other woman seemed to have noticed. 

“Chin up, Dani. I promise I will come and visit soon to teach you how to properly plant a flower” Jamie proposed and Dani smiled brightly at the thought of seeing her again

She left out the door and it was hard to get ready for the class as she could not stop herself from thinking about Jamie. No matter what she tried to focus on, her thoughts would return to the interesting woman she met. 

“Miss Clayton !” Flora yelled excitedly to see her favorite teacher at her desk as she ran through the door

“Good Morning Flora.” Dani greeted her and patted Miles on the shoulder when he followed her a bit more slowly inside the classroom. 

“We have a new gardener and she is so pretty!” Flora seemed excited by the new face around her home and she couldn’t help but smile at her kind words for the woman. 

“Oh really!?” Dani wanted to hear what else she might say about her new friend 

“Yes! She’s from England, and she’s going to stay with us for the rest of the year!” Flora remarked as she looked up at her with wide eyes 

“How lovely! I am sure it will be nice to see a new face around here” Dani told her with a small wink as she greeted the rest of the students who slowly appeared. Tired eyes and small hidden yawns were a normal feature in her class, but soon enough the small actions would fade away. 

“Are we ready to begin?” Dani told them as she got up from her desk and came to the board to capture all of their attention. 

“Yes, Miss Clayton,” They told her in unison eagerly nodding as they wanted to see what they would learn for that day. 

“Who is ready to learn about the history of our town?” Dani began her class by reading the notes and history of their small town. Some of the children would raise their hands when they wanted to share their own stories that were passed down from their own parents. It made her happy to see them so interested in her lesson, and she wished she could teach all day. 

Once the class ended, Dani grasped her things and headed back home down the usual path. She walked slowly and then she noticed a small carriage outside of her home, and she wondered who it could be. It looked familiar, and she came inside and placed her coat on the rack.

“Danielle! Where have you been?” Her mother chided her as she tried to fix her daughter’s hair and took off her glasses. Frowning at the small indention that was left behind on her daughter's small nose, but it was too late to get rid of it. 

“Class ended a bit late, one of my students wanted to tell me about how they would be expecting another sibling” Danielle answered her as she was dragged to the living room only to see Edmund and his mother Judy sitting on the couch. 

“Oh Danielle, you are too kind.” Edmund got up from his seat and came to admire her much more closely from an arm's length away. 

“Thank you,” Dani remarked as she smiled kindly at him and his mother before trying to hide how tired she was. 

“I can tell you are going to be a great mother,” Judy remarked and her mother nodded seeming to agree about it. 

“Well I am quite happy with my students at the schoolhouse now” Dani was not ready to have any children of her own just yet. She was embarrassed by their remark, and she knew what they had to be thinking. 

“Of course, I hear great things about you from the parents around town” Edmund agreed and she was tugged to the couch by her mother. 

“I am happy to hear that.” Dani sat down awkwardly and her mother held an arm around her as they sat to drink some tea by the fire

“Your mother and I have been discussing your future,” Judy told her happily as if it was her choice to figure it out for her. She did not like the sound of that, and for once she wished she could have stayed to sleep at her schoolhouse. 

“What about?” Dani questioned as she sipped from her teacup

“I believe you and Edmund would be quite a match in our town” The O’Mara’s both seemed happy by the thought yet she felt sick by it. 

“I am not sure” Dani hesitated as it did not feel right whenever she was with him, and yet there was no question her life was already signed away to be his bride. 

“Don’t you want to make me happy Danielle?” Her mother grasped her hand and watched her with her serious eyes

“Of course” Dani nodded to her mom, although she knew she had no choice in the matter. 

“Then it is settled, you will marry in the summer.” The rest of the evening was a blur and she felt sick to her stomach at the thought of marrying Edmund. When their guests finally left she happily left upstairs, ready to put the night behind her.


	2. The Secret Flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie has a small surprise for Dani, and her mother seems to have some surprises of her own.

She could not go to sleep and when it was time to wake up her eyes were aching from the rough night that she had. Dani got ready slowly, placing her glasses on her nose, and leaving her hair down to lay upon her shoulders. It was not unusual to wear it this way but she felt like she simply did not care what anyone thought of her. For once she just wanted to be herself instead of being what her mother wanted her to be. This felt like the one thing she could have, and she wanted to keep a part of herself hidden from the rest of the world. 

She left out the door merely saying a quick hello before she ran out the door to escape her mother’s wedding planning. The walk to the school was her only place to think and have time alone to herself, when she moved further along she saw Jamie leaning against a tree beside the path. Some part of her was hoping that perhaps she was waiting there to see her in the morning. 

“Jamie?” Dani was surprised but happy nonetheless to see her new friend as it would be a much-needed distraction

“Good Morning Dani” Jamie greeted 

“What are you doing here?” Dani walked up and gave her a hug before she pulled away to see the surprised look on Jamies face

“I brought a little surprise” Jamie went around the tree and brought out a flower 

“What is it?” Dani eagerly grabbed it from her to bring it up to her eyes to see it more closely

“This is a Gloxinia flower” Jamie presented it to her and she grasped it between her fingers softly, not wanting to ruin the sweet creation. 

“Thank you, I will put this in the schoolhouse to brighten up the place” Dani smiled brightly at the thought of showing the small gift off to the others

“Do you need a vase for it?” Jamie asked as she walked beside her up the hill

“I think I have something in mind, how has your job at the Wingraves been?” Dani was curious about what it must be like as she had not talked to Mr. Wingrave in quite a long time. He was such a private man and he tended to keep to himself and his family. 

“Their home is quite large but I have been able to manage wonderfully. The greenhouse is where I especially like to work and care for it as it is a favorite of Mrs. Wingrave.” She revealed to her

“I am sure it is beautiful” Dani had never been to a greenhouse but she liked to imagine it would be full of lovely flowers

“Maybe I will show you one day when you are off” Jamie offered already planning to show the other woman

“I would like that very much” Dani opened the door to the schoolhouse and welcomed Jamie inside. The room had a chill and she grasped a sweater she left on her chair for when it was a bit chilly. She grasped her pencil holder and dumped it out on her table and went to the small well outside. Grasping the rope and tugging it up to her where she poured just a little bit of water to cover the stem. Then she brought it inside and placed it on the corner of her desk with a happy smile.

Jamie watched her with amazement and she knew she would like to be back to bring her a collection of flowers. She knew what those flowers meant, and for her, it was a small secret she could keep to herself and from Dani. Even if she knew it was likely that Dani could never return her affections but she likes to imagine she would. 

“I think this flower really brightens up the place” It was a nice gesture and Dani couldn’t help but feel butterflies in her belly. She had never been gifted with a flower and she felt touched by how kind Jamie was to her. 

“I would hardly say it does, but I am happy you think so” Jamie watched her for a bit not knowing what to say next. 

“Miss Clayton!” Flora ran in to greet her and Jamie stepped away to give the two some space. She watched from the side as her two students came inside. 

“Good morning Flora” Dani hugged her back gently smoothing her hair down for her

“What's Miss Taylor doing here?” Flora seemed excited to see her and she came up to Jamie and gave her a hug too. It surprised the other woman but she gave in to the small girl and patted her back before pulling away. 

“Oi! Am I not allowed to have friends?” Jamie looked stern although Flora giggled at her question

“Of course you are. I’m sure being friends with Miss Clayton is perfectly splendid” Flora seemed to think about it carefully

Dani laughed at hearing her say her favorite saying and Jamie was taken aback by her just for a moment and then she recovered. 

“Well, I better be off before I miss my shift” Jamie knew she had to leave sooner than later but she had planned to come back to see her once more in the morning before her shift. Seeing Dani in the morning had brightened her day, and she knew she could go to work feeling a bit more at ease. It gave her something to look forward to and meeting her had made her feel much warmer. It was so tiring being alone, and she knew that Dani was different from anyone she had ever met. 

“Awwwww” Flora seemed sad and almost as sad as Dani was to see her go

“But I will see everyone soon, goodbye Flora and Miles, Dani” With one last wink she set off in the direction of the Wingrave home.

It took a while for Dani to finally get ready and once everyone was in their seats she began to continue teaching the lesson where she last left off. But every once in a while she would admire the flower on her desk and even touch it softly. When the last students left for their homes she smelled the flower before she left to walk home. 

Her home smelled different when she arrived and she was surprised to see that there was a full meal placed on the table. There were multiple plates that were left in front of each chair, and it began to make Dani feel nervous again. 

“What is happening here?” Dani asked concerned about what was going on

“Edmund and his mother are coming to dinner this evening” Her mother finally appeared to try and make everything perfect

“Why?”Dani asked not ready to see him once more as she just saw him the day before

“Because he is your soon-to-be husband of course” Her mom shooed her to her room to dress in her best clothes. She left to her room and put on her corset for her mom’s request and she called her mother over to help her put it on. The corset was finally shoved into her hips while her mother left in search of a dress. She gave her a dress with the lowest neckline and left back to prepare herself for their meal. 

When she left the room Dani placed the dress back in the closet and instead went with her favorite dress. It was a green dress that covered her shoulders and had a high neckline that made her feel more comfortable. It felt like enough but she knew that her mother would be angry with her once the night would end. 

There was a knock on the door so she walked slowly down the steps feeling dread with each step she took down to the dining room. She knew what was going to await her and she tried to force a smile and hoped it did not look too fake. 

“Danielle” Edmund came and kissed her on the cheek 

She pulled away and took a step back from him already feeling uncomfortable from the unexpected kiss he gave on her while her mother seemed quite pleased with herself. 

“Edmund” Dani nodded to him and greeted his mother who threw her arms around her shoulders before calming down. 

The dining table was small and her mom and Judy sat on one side, while Edmund and Dani sat beside each other. She would cut her food into small pieces while she nodded along to the conversation, as she was not interested at all. Dani wondered why Jamie had brought the flower from earlier, and it left so many questions running through her mind. 

“Would you like that ?” Judy’s eyes were on her and she felt herself turn red at the attention of the other guests. She felt embarrassed for finally being caught with her attention elsewhere, but she did not realize she was going to be questioned. 

“Forgive me, Judy, would you repeat the question please?” Dani was still tired from teaching class and she could not forgive her mom for making plans without telling her. She was so tired of being forced into these uncomfortable situations because of her. 

“I thought it might be nice if you would wear my wedding dress for your own wedding day” Judy seemed excited at the thought of it being used once again

“Oh” Dani was a bit unsure as her wedding finally felt real 

“Forgive my daughter, I think it would be lovely if she used your dress. We might have to make sure she lays off bread for a while to fit in it” Her mom giggled and she felt herself get embarrassed at how rude her mother was being to her

“Mother” Dani chided her and she wanted to leave the table badly 

“I’m kidding my dear.” She waved her off and continued to eat her meal

“Of course we will have to get her fitted in it as soon as possible so it can be perfect for the big day” Judy seemed to like the sound of her own voice too much. Dani did not want to be reminded of their plans and she continued to eat, drowning their voices out. Edmund tried to speak with her but she answered him simply enough. She was not in the mood and when the meal was over she was ready for them to leave her be. 

Part of her knew that her mother would be upset with her, and once Edmund and his mother left she could feel her mother's anger. She was fuming from seeing her daughter throw her chances away for such a lavish life. 

“Danielle, what has gotten into you this evening?” Her mother grasped her plates roughly and she placed them down to look firmly at her daughter

“I am just tired mother” Dani did not want to fight with her

“You are ruining all of my plans” She came and stood in front of her wanting to know the reason behind her actions. 

“They are your plans, they were never mine,” Dani spat out and her mother grasped her face within her fingers roughly

“Don’t you see I am trying to help you? If you marry Edmund, then you will be safe and comfortable for the rest of your life. You wouldn’t have to worry about bringing in money because he could provide it for you. Honestly Danielle you have to think about the future of this family. Your beautiful face won’t last forever and before you know it, no one will want to marry you” She told her coldly before pulling away as she knew her daughter would be the talk of the town if she did not get married soon at her young age. 

“I don’t love him” Dani tried to plead with her mother but it was all for nothing as her mother did not want to hear it

“You will learn to love him, eventually my dear” Her mother left it at that and continued to clean the table while she went to her room. Making sure to close the door behind her, she took off the dress and tried to sleep, but it wasn't so easy to do.

All she could think of was Jamie and the flower she brought her in the morning. She thought of her curly hair and the way she seemed so confident and sure of herself. Jamie was so unlike anyone she had ever met and she couldn’t help but feel something deep inside for her. It felt like something out of her books and she knew it was best to keep that feeling to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I start class tomorrow so I wanted to make sure to add another chapter to this fic. I am still very into this story and I am still working on it daily. I hope you like the little bit of drama I have added to this chapter. I hope you like it, and if you do, leave a comment or kudos. Enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> I am returning to college next week, but this fic will be done before I know it. I hope that you enjoy it, and please leave comments and kudos if you would like to read more. Thank you!


End file.
